2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7 brought us some of the most exciting games we’ve seen this split. For one, there were a huge number of upsets that we never anticipated. Teams like G2, Misfits and Fnatic were humbled by teams who we never imagined could pull such a feat off. Games have begun to last longer, with virtually all of them being above the 40 minute mark. ADCs seem to be back in the meta, even though the patch 8.15 buffs haven’t hit yet.

As we edge closer to the playoffs, it’s becoming increasingly confusing as to which teams deserve the top spots. Underdogs are clawing their way up, and the previously best teams are losing their stronghold over the region.

We’re extremely excited for what’s to come in this region, but for now, here are 6 takeaways from 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7 that we just couldn’t help but notice.

Schalke 04 Are Aiming for the Top Spot

It won’t be easy, but judging from their performance through 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7, Schalke 04 can actually make it to the top 2 teams – Image via LoL Esports Flickr

Vitality, along with Schalke, are on a winning spree. They’ve tasted blood in the waters, and now they’re both unstoppable. When we look back at the spring split, we recall Schalke as being one of those H2K-ish teams that were just fodder for the other teams. Since Amazing joined the team, everything has changed for them.

To prove that they belonged up in the big leagues, they had to defeat the best teams. That, they did quite successfully. The amount of confidence this team must be feeling after a 2-0 week against some of the most formidable teams in the EU LCS speaks volumes for how well this team is doing right now. They’ve managed to enter the contest for the top team of the region and might even look to going even further.

Shot calling issues are almost non-existent in this team. They’ve begun making risky, on-the-spot decisions which end up having huge implications on the games. This can be proven with instances like Amazing’s amazing Elder Drake steal from ROCCAT, and their insane dives onto Misfits. Upset, in particular, was outstanding during the match against Misfits. The team seems to have found the perfect chemistry, and every player knows what they’re doing.

If they keep can keep their momentum going from 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7, they’re likely to make it all the way to the semis, or maybe even the EU LCS summer finals.

Vitality Can Make it to the EU LCS Summer Finals

Vitality are starting to become a much more consistent team – Image via LoL Esports Flickr

Here’s another team that has something to prove. Unlike Schalke 04, the world always viewed Vitality as a mid-tier team that just couldn’t make it into the big leagues. The playoffs seemed just out of reach for them, and it seemed like that pattern would be repeated this split. Vitality showed a knack for choking during the second half of the split.

None of that happened, because Kikis showed up. The new jungler that got Gilius benched is now sending shock-waves across the region. He’s exactly what Vitality needed. He’s aggressive, doesn’t hesitate, and always knows what he’s doing, and iss like an upgraded version of Gilius, but don’t tell him we said that.

Just like Schalke, Vitality had to prove that they were ready to take things to the next level. Defeating teams like ROCCAT and H2K aren’t much of a big deal. Vitality aren’t looking to simply make it to the playoffs – they want their ticket to Worlds 2018. And it looks like they might just get it, because they’ve shown that they have what it takes. By defeating Fnatic in a completely dramatic fashion, they’ve sent out the statement that they mean business.

This is just the start for them, however. In the upcoming weeks following 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7, they’ve got some intense matchups waiting for them. This includes Schalke, who seem like Vitality’s rivals at this point. It’s impossible to tell what the future holds for Vitality, or Schalke, and we’ll simply have to see what the future holds for them both. However, it’s clear that they have the tools to get the job done at their disposal.

Giants Have Started Their Miracle Run

Can Giants complete their miracle run and make it to the EU LCS Summer playoffs? – Image via LoL Esports Flickr

Miracle runs are what we generally associate with high level teams like Fnatic, Misfits and SKT. However, Giants are looking to make history by completing a miracle run of their own. And they’ve shown how they’re willing to go to any lengths in order to make that happen. When Giants take down one of the top team in Europe like it was child’s play, we know they’re serious.

What’s more, their victory against ROCCAT, which was incidentally the game which broke their 1-1 streak for the entire split, was a comeback. Giants haven’t made a single comeback during this entire split, which is huge, because they’re starting to do things differently now. Now, this team needs to keep their pace up, and keep winning in order to qualify for the playoffs. In Djoko’s words:

“We have nothing to lose and everything to win, and if we keep going like this, we can win against anyone, including Fnatic.”

Words like these show just how confident Giants are moving forward. We’re looking forward to them proving that they can back them up with actions too. Their upcoming matches following 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7 aren’t easy, but they’re going to have to give it their all if they want any hope at making it past the group stage.

Fnatic May Need Rekkles Back Soon

Fnatic’s week was really good, and really bad. It was great when they completely destroyed G2 Esports. Every time these teams go against each other, we feel the spring finals vibes. And just like the spring finals, Fnatic were able to disintegrate G2 without taking so much as a scratch. They were quick, calculated and unstoppable. G2 had no idea what hit them, and although both teams were going neck to neck for the starting few minutes, things spiraled out of proportion.

Fnatic were able to snowball wildly and achieved their victory in a near perfect manner. The win can mainly be attributed to how well Bwipo played. He came through on his Vladimir in the botlane, even though it was a tough matchup, and proceeded to outright carry the game.

However, the game against Vitality was a whole different story. What Vitality did was somewhat reminiscent of what Fnatic did to G2 Esports. Vitality were able to outplay them at every turn and were just as aggressive. Therein, we realized that Fnatic were missing one of their most valuable players – Rekkles.

Atilla was able to own Bwipo in lane, and we already know that the meta might incline towards ADCs in the upcoming meta. Bwipo mentioned in the interview after defeating G2 that they were looking to bring back Rekkles to the team from the bench, which should be a defining point for the team.

Larssen Has a Bright Future Ahead of Him

Larssen might be just what H2K needed. It’s a pity he was added so late – Image via LoL Esports Flickr

H2K finally had a win. The memes are dead! After literally weeks of going without any wins, they’ve managed it at last. They almost broke the record of most consecutive losses, but we’ll have to wait for some other team to enter that legendary state, later. For now, what we’ve got is an interesting addition to H2K.

Larssen made his debut in 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7, and he pretty much took off. It was, of course, unlucky that his first matchup was against Perkz, arguably the best mid laner in the region. However, even Perkz praised his performance during the game despite the loss, stating that he did the best that was possible given the draft he had to work with. When Perkz calls someone a good player, it usually means something.

That was shown to be true, given the way H2K was able to best Splyce during Day 2 of the EU LCS Week 7 (Summer 2018). Mistakes were made from both sides, but it was blatantly obvious that H2K had the upper hand during the entire game. They were relentless and kept outplaying Splyce on a macro level which they couldn’t keep up with.

Regardless of which direction H2K go from now on, it’s undeniable that Larssen had some great and confident plays which helped push his team towards victory. He was the player who had the tough and timely plays which kept the tempo going, consequently snowballing his team.

Splyce Have Begun to Slip Up

Splyce need to get back in the game, else they won’t make it to playoffs – Image via LoL Esports Flickr

While H2K displayed a high level of skill during their victory against Splyce, that doesn’t say that Splyce played to their full potential. On the contrary, Splyce didn’t have the best performance in 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7. Their win-loss ratio in the EU LCS might be misleading, because their current level of playmaking is off-putting. Their victory against UOL might seem like a simple one judging by the scoreboard, but there was more to it than that.

Splyce had to fight with everything they had to win against one of the weakest teams in the region. Granted, UOL had some good moves which even gave Vitality some trouble. However, the point to stress here is that comparisons won’t redeem Splyce of the relatively low level of play they’ve been showing this far. After Rift Rivals, we were certain that Splyce would make a comeback and secure a similar position to the one they had last split.

However, they’ve been slipping up ever since. They can certainly win, but they’re one inconsistent team. Vitality are slowly covering up their weaknesses. They’re solving their team coordination issues, which excuses the fact that they struggled against UOL. There aren’t any such excuses for Splyce.

What do you think will happen after 2018 EU LCS Summer Week 7? Do you think Misfits will continue to slump and throw their lead? All they need to secure their spot in the playoffs is a single win, which we think they’re sure to get. What are your thoughts on Vitality and Schalke’s rise? Let us know in the comments below!

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